Ranking Member Scott Statement on RFK Jr. Decision to Rehire Only A Few Wrongfully Terminated NIOSH Employees

Ranking Member Scott Statement on RFK Jr. Decision to Rehire Only A Few Wrongfully Terminated NIOSH Employees

WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, issued the following statement in response to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reinstating some but not all of the wrongfully terminated National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) civil servants.

"I am encouraged to see Secretary Kennedy begin to reverse course on his decision to fire hundreds of civil servants at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Unfortunately, Secretary Kennedy's decision to rehire a handful of wrongfully terminated employees is not enough. The abrupt firing of hundreds of health and safety employees puts American workers at risk of preventable injuries, illnesses, and deaths on-the job.

"Until Secretary Kennedy rehires the rest of the wrongfully terminated NIOSH staff, restores the agency in full, and ensures that all rehired employees are shielded from future wrongful terminations, Secretary Kennedy falls short of faithfully executing the law."

In February, House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) and Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05) called for a full accounting of NIOSH staffing changes, as well as details about any interruptions in grants, contracts, or other funding could affect the institute's ongoing work. Regrettably, Secretary Kennedy has neglected to address concerns raised in the Members' letter and now-months later-rehired only a few wrongfully terminated employees with no explanation for how such disruptions have affected NIOSH's work.

To read the full letter, click here.

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